The Traitors: A Project Freelancer AU fic
by Dorano1
Summary: What if Maine had never become the Meta? What if Project Freelancer had stayed together to bring down the Director - or simply stuck together because they trusted nobody else in the galaxy after the Director's betrayal? Well...maybe this would have happened. Although the question that needs to be asked is - is this any better? [Rated M for violence and language]
1. York

**Author's Note:** I'm sorry, I can't help it, I've got so many ideas...

* * *

York stumbled as he ran, adrenaline numbing the pain - well, that and his handy-dandy healing unit. If he didn't have that thing, he'd be dead by now.

As he fled the scene - _just the scene, not the scene _of_ anything, it_s _too close, too soon_ - Delta spoke up, sounding as concerned as the little green A.I was capable of being. "Agent York, your vitals are far outside the range that is considered acceptable for physical activity. If you do not rest, you will undoubtedly only worsen your already substantial injures." York couldn't even spare the energy to shake his head once in denial, but his frenzied thoughts were enough for Delta.

_Can't. Can't stop. They're too close._

"Agent York - " Delta insisted, but York blocked him out. He was tired - so, so tired. He could have gone farther if it wasn't for -

_Arizona. God, Zone, why?_

Maybe it wasn't his fault entirely. Zone had been assigned Kappa - _loyalty, of course it was loyalty - _and it had been enough to set Zone against the rest of the Freelancers when they'd revolted. Deserted. However you wanted to say it - when they'd _left. _It was Zone who was responsible for the injuries York now bore - Zone and the New Ones. York had no idea what they were, only that they were fast - so fast - and deadly. He'd watched as they'd cut open Alabama and Michigan in less time than it took to blink. Then they'd done the same to him. Only his healing unit had saved him -

_- and Delta, they'd tried to take Delta, but Delta had hidden - somehow - done something to escape - _

_"Agent York."_ The A.I insisted. "You _must_ rest now, or your body _will_ shut down." York stumbled, staggered, and nearly fell. "Can't stop." He gasped, swaying like a drunken man as he staggered forward, barely managing to move each foot in front of the next. "Can't...stop..." His eyelids were so heavy, as if they were made of lead, and the sun warmed his armor. The shadows beckoned invitingly, wouldn't it be nice to just lie down and rest for a few moments...

York had begun to sink to his knees, his body willing to simply faceplant in the dirt and let the healing unit heal the bullet wounds in his shoulder and the knife wound that carved a red smile on his stomach. One arm was constantly pressed over it to keep his guts in his body.

Lurching as he struggled to straighten his legs again, Agent York managed a few more steps before collapsing onto his side. "No..." He mumbled, unsure if he really said that or if he simply though it, but Delta responded all the same. "You need to _rest_, Agent York. If you push yourself any further, you will most likely die."

York, arm still pressed into his stomach, began crawling forward. "Better...dead...than...their...captive." He managed, gasping with pain between each word.

_A captive can be rescued. A corpse can only be mourned._

He rolled over onto his back, certain someone had been standing over him. But there was nothing.

York was delirious with the pain now, his exertion forcing the Healing Unit to withhold most of its power. "Psi...South, can't you...keep your...A.I...quiet?" He mumbled, his breathing growing more shallow with every moment that passed.

"Tannie." He mumbled, reciting the names of his friends - the friends he prayed would make it, the friends he hoped would live. "Tannie, Ark, Caro - Carol...North, South...Wash, Indy, Tenn..."

By the time he was found, York was too far gone to notice who it was.

Or that Delta was missing.

* * *

_*holds up shield to defend self from rabid York fangirls* _

_Because I'm sure you exist. Don't kill me or you'll never find out what happens to him!_


	2. Wash

**Author's Note:** That first chapter was a little shorter than I would have liked, so hopefully this one's longer.

* * *

Wash wished he had an AI.

And AI would make...this...much easier. Use the EMP wave, knock out their shit, run like hell. Okay granted, he could probably use it without an AI but _running the fuck away_ from those - things - was occupying his brain right now.

So basically an AI was needed to use that EMP wave right now. And he didn't have an AI right now. He'd had Epsilon for a while, but they took him away after that...incident.

That _incident_ that had started it all.

Epsilon's memories had shown him _how_ their AIs had been created. When he'd woken up, he'd blurted it all out to North and South, who backed him up when he explained it all to the other Freelancers. The decision had been unanimous - desert and bring down the Director for his crimes.

Apparently, someone had a change of heart. Specifically, two someones - Agents Arizona and Iowa._ God dammit, Iowa, why'd you have to follow Zone?_ He supposed he should simply be thankful she didn't have an AI...but somehow that didn't comfort him at all.

The dust and blood spattered on his visor was obscuring his vision and he lost his footing. Scrambling to his feet again, he instinctively flinched away from the shot that grazed his helmet - and fried his communications, sending Wash into full-out sarcasm mode.

_Well that's just great._ "Thank you so fucking much!" He roared back at his pursuers, not really caring if they heard him or not. "Really helpful, there, so glad you're on my side - " He was cut off as a shot slammed into his helmet.

Wash dived for ditch, faking a stumble and a fall_. Thank you shields._ He rolled to a stop and held his breath as they prowled forward - two of them, both male as far as he could tell. One stopped at the top of the ditch, while the other slid down and crouched next to Wash. The one on the top looked down. "Is 'e dead?" He asked. The one next to Wash grumbled a few choice things about his partners intelligence before responding. "Well if you'd give me a damn _second_ to check, I'd tell you." His voice was more precise and educated than his companion's, and Wash snickered mentally. But he needed this one to check, because he couldn't hold his breath for much longer.

The one at the top went to reply in kind, but the one next to Wash had already bent over him to check for a heartbeat. That was when Wash made his move.

Hooking his arm over the man's skull, he yanked down as he brought his knee up to ram into his throat. The effect of both of those moves was to break the man's neck. In his other hand, his battle rifle was clenched, and he brought it up and shot the man at the top of the ditch five times - twice in the visor, three times in the throat. He fell with a gurgling, choking cry.

Breathing hard - partially from adrenaline, partially because he hadn't breathed in what felt like ages - Wash got to his feet and glanced at the two bodies before climbing out of the ditch and taking cover behind a large boulder before double-checking a map of the area he'd made sure to download before the mass-desertion. There was a settlement - a small city, really - about twenty kilometers away. Chances were they'd have a ship he could borrow, commandeer, or steal.

_Best get going then._

* * *

Three hours, two firefights, and seventeen kilometers later, Wash had found a ship. Parked in the middle of nowhere, for reasons he didn't really care about. Guarded by three soldiers who looked to be a lot more experienced and deadly than the Insurrectionists. Wash shifted slightly, craning his neck to try and see what the third one - bulkier than the others, wearing red-and-black armor - was using as a weapon when he heard a twig snap beneath him.

_Well, shit._

In unison, three helmeted heads swiveled towards him and he suddenly had a very clear view of all of their weapons. The first one - a little taller than the others, in black-and-blue armor - had two plasma pistols. The second - shorter than the others and lean - had a battle rifle similar to his. The third had a_ Brute Shot_. Surrendering seemed like a really good idea right about now.

"Come out o' yer little hidin' spot!" Red snarled. Green's head tilted slightly towards Red before returning to its original position. Despite the clichè, Wash decided to do as they asked. He came out of his 'little hidin' spot' and, at a snarl from Red, he slowly removed his helmet, making a mental note to make that an immediate requirement of anyone he captured - helmet comms and what have you.

As his helmet dropped to the ground, he heard Blue's sharp intake of breath. Slowly, she holstered her weapons and tugged her own helmet off.

Washington's jaw dropped. He didn't believe it.

"_Sarah?"_ He asked, voice rising incredulously.

Sarah's eyes never left Wash's face, as if afraid blinking would reveal it was all a hallucination. "David." She breathed. Then she smiled - a sight achingly familiar to Wash.

Red and Green had lowered their own weapons and removed their helmets. Wash noted the resemblance between the two - Red was slightly older, and her hair was dark brown instead of black, but their eyes were precisely the same shade of gray. He absorbed this information in an instant before his gaze returned to Sarah.

Slowly, she approached him, and Wash wasn't entirely sure if she was going to hit him or hug him. Thankfully, she took the second option, and Wash returned her hug enthusiastically. "God, Sarah..." He murmured, holding her at arms length. "We thought..." He trailed off. "What _happened?"_ He demanded. Sarah smiled. "I could ask you the same thing. We can exchange stories onboard." She told him, glancing back at Red and Green. "I think I owe Robin and Starling an explanation as well..." She add, making her way back to the other two. Red - probably Robin, Wash guessed - raised an eyebrow. "I take it you two know each other." She said dryly, and Sarah chuckled. "You could say that." She responded, glancing back at him. "Robin, Starling, meet my younger brother David. David, this is my squad."

Wash's mouth was suddenly dry. "Nice to...meet you." He managed.

* * *

_M'kay, I think a few things require explanation here._

_Sarah is, as mentioned, Wash's older sister. Red is indeed Robin, and Green is Starling. Robin and Starling are related. Sarah's the leader of their little squad-thingy. Team. Whatever the hell._

_Wash was indeed implanted with Epsilon, who did pretty much the same thing he did in canon, but instead of keeping his mouth shut, Wash blurted everything to North and South (who were much less estranged at this point, since South did in fact get an AI - Psi - that she took from a dying Agent Pennslyvania to keep it from the Insurrectionists) who backed him up when he told everyone else, so he's less of a hardass now. Also, he just found his sister, so some of his faith in the universe has been restored._

_Okay...I think that just about covers everything I wanted to say. That was a long post-chapter note, hope you enjoyed._


	3. Tannie

**Author's Note:** And now I bring you...MONTANA! And a few other people.

* * *

Montana ducked as a tree behind her exploded from a gunshot. "Hey, watch it!" She snapped. Tennessee's voice came over the radio. "Sorry Tannie!" He called cheerfully. Tenn was _always_ cheerful - he'd probably be being cheerful as he died. It was kind of annoying, sometimes. Okay, a lot of the time.

But Tannie chose to simply mutter a few choice words about Tenn's sanity and elbowed some poor cannon fodder bastard under the chin before pivoting and slamming the heel of her right foot into another mook's chest.

"Are you planning on shooting anyone? Or just kicking them to death?" Her brother's voice sounded in her ear. Tannie grinned, even though it wasn't visible under the helmet. "Why brother dear, I thought - "

_"Just fucking shoot them!"_ Arkansas screeched over the radio, cutting her reply off. Tannie frowned, worrying silently for what this mess was doing to his sanity. Normally, her brother was the voice of reason in situations like this. "Yessir. Commencing shooting protocol whatever-the-fuck in - "

_"Montana..."_ Ark ground out, voice strained.

"Okay! Jesus." Tannie snapped, suddenly quite sick of her brother. Thankfully, Florida intervened before Arkansas could reply and turn this mess into a three-way fight.

"Rockets incoming!" He called, gesturing to the fast-approaching missiles as he fired into the ranks of the approaching Newts (Montana's private name for the new enemy, who apparently existed to 'neutralize' Freelancers). North and South immediately moved closer together and activated their domed energy shields. The combined power of the two shields created a larger bubble that encompassed the entire party - Ark, Tannie, Tenn, Four-Seven-Niner, Maine, Carolina, Florida, and of course the twins themselves. All shooting from the inside ceased as the twins' shields went up, deflecting the incoming rockets. The group made a slow retreat as the twins backed away, trying to keep their shield up.

Then there was a sudden flash of light and South's shield flickered and died as her AI - Psi - cried out in sudden pain. North's shield fell a moment later as he moved to support his sister as she staggered, clutching her head. "South! What - " North's concerned cry was cut off as another rocket slammed into the ground near them, throwing them in opposite directions. Maine stepped in and pulled Carolina back from going to South's assistance, turning her attention to their flank, as she was swarmed by Newts. Tenn, Ark, and Tannie opened fire, but Florida - who's main job was to protect Alpha - was concentrating on his job. North was stirring, but it was clear to Tannie he'd be no help to South.

That left her, Arkansas, and Tennessee.

Ark had thought up a solution a split second before Tannie did. "Tenn - help Florida. Tannie - help South. I'll cover you." Concise and logical. _That's more like you, big brother._

Tannie drew her rifle - not the battle rifle she was used to, but it would suffice - and took aim, shooting Newts of off the semi-conscious South. One pulled a gun out of his ass - or at least some hidden holster she hadn't noticed - and Tannie swung to shoot him, but he'd already fired a round through South's visor. He was dead a moment later, but the damage had been done - South's head had snapped back, and the rise and fall of her chest that had indicated life was gone.

Then Carolina was there.

It was a moment of dumb relief, because a silly part of Tannie thought Carolina could fix anything, but the Freelancer had only left their flank - which Maine was holding quite nicely - to pull North back, and keep him from reaching his twin as the Newts dragged South's limp body away. His broken pleading could be heard through the radio, calling for South, asking her to snap out of it, even though it was so painfully obvious South would never respond.

Carolina pulled him to his feet and Tannie rushed to steady him before he fell again. They fell back, retreating, running from the onslaught of Newts.

* * *

When the group paused after what seemed like an age, North sat down heavily on a rock, holding his head in one hand. Theta appeared next to him, and reached out tentatively to touch his shoulder. Tannie approached him carefully, sitting next to him and putting a silent hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, North." She murmured, not saying anything more. North shook his head, drawing a shaky breath.

"It...wasn't your fault." He mumbled. Carolina walked over from her quick consultation with Tennessee and Ark. "There's an old abandoned military base not far from here. We could probably hole up for a night." She said. "But we'd need to get going now if we want to get there while there's still daylight."

Tannie nodded. "C'mon, North." She murmured, and North glanced up at her with a nod of assent, accepting Tannie's help pulling himself to his feet. "Let's go, then."

Tannie glanced at Arkansas, so, so thankful that he was still alive. She couldn't imagine what North was going through - and she didn't want to try.

* * *

A few hours later - Tannie's helmet had been spazzing weirdly since the flash, which seemed to have had some effect on Mu, so she couldn't tell exactly - their party reached the old base. Tennessee immediately made for the computers, saying something vague about trying to get some power and figure out what happened to the others, and Carolina took charge almost immediately: setting up a watch that mercifully omitted North, explaining the layout, and making food arrangements. The last one was Ark's job, thanks to his status pre-mutiny as the Kitchen King. It was a common joke that his symbol should have been a chef's hat instead of a knife.

After a surprisingly good dinner of a rabbit-like creature (a colony of them had made their home in the southern part of the building), Tannie had first watch. She sat with her back to a half-wall she could vault over to use for cover, rifle on her lap and ready to be aimed and fired at a moments notice. Mu popped up next to Tannie, a yellow six-inch avatar of a teenage boy. "Hey Murry." Tannie greeted him by his nickname. "You doing okay?"

Murry frowned, his image flickering. "I think so. That flash was weird - it, like, disrupted my systems or something. It's confusing...I'm trying to sort it out, but I still don't know _what_ the flash was, so I can't do as much. What _was_ the flash, do you think? Was it some kind of weapon, or - "

"I'm pretty sure it was a weapon." Tannie cut him off, eyes flicking back to scan the space around the base. Murry noticed and shrugged. "No need. The scanners and sensors are working, so you'll know if someone comes within a hundred meters."

Tannie nodded her thanks, but looked anyway. "No offense, Murry, but it's an organic thing." Murry shrugged. It didn't matter much to him, although he did wonder why the Freelancers insisted on doing so much themselves when the AIs could do so much as well. "Okay." He said, and vanished again, intent on continuing the repair.

Tannie sighed. Murry might be annoying sometimes, with his constant questions, but he was like a younger sibling or a younger cousin that you wanted to protect.

* * *

_Right...so that happened. Poor North..._

_Tell me what you thought via review or PM or carrier pigeon...actually, no carrier pigeons, I don't have time to clean up after them._


	4. Project Hawkeye

**Author's Note:** Yep, back to Wash. We'll find out what happened to York...eventually.

* * *

"How are you - how are you even _alive?!"_ Wash demanded once they were safely sealed inside the ship.

Sarah snorted. "I could be asking you the same thing, but...ah, fuck it. How much do you know already?"

Wash blinked and tried to make sense of that. "I...just that your work was attacked and blown up..."

Sarah frowned when he mentioned that. "Yeah, I didn't really approve of that part, but...well, they were pretty desperate that _nobody _find out about them - "

Wash held up a hand to stop her. "Okay! Sarah, you're talking in circles and not making any sense at all. Start from the beginning and _make sense._ Please."

* * *

_Thirty minutes. Sarah smiled at her coworkers as she stood up to 'go to lunch'. She was fresh out of collage and working behind a desk in an engineering company, hoping to make designer and patent a few things. Those hopes? Dashed, once the army took notice of her._

_Project Hawkeye. Commissioned - created - whatever the word was, their purpose was to be ready in case the agents of another military project, Project Freelancer, went astray._

_Twenty-eight minutes. Sarah slipped into the bathroom and changed quickly, discarding her work clothes for the military-esque gear she'd been issued, complete with it's own cloaking unit - unfortunately, she didn't get to keep it. Activating it, she quickly raced off, stowing her clothes behind the toilet. It wouldn't matter in twenty-seven minutes._

_Moving carefully - the desk jockeys weren't the most observant, but some of the officers used to be military, and an out-of-place noise might get her shot - Sarah moved down the hallway to the stairs, descending in perfect sync with an old friend. Lauren Cartwright was in on this as well, but since she worked the morning shift, she could leave without arousing suspicion. Lauren smiled at the desk clerk as she left, and Sarah felt a pang of guilt as she slipped out the door behind Lauren with a twenty-two minutes to go. Natalie was waiting outside for Lauren. As Lauren's third cousin, Natalie was her usual ride home._  
_Lauren and Sarah got in the car. Natalie drove off, following the usual route. Nineteen minutes to go._

_Sarah stared out the window. She would be presumed dead - the Hawkeye people had assured her of that - but Lauren and Natalie would be under suspicion, especially when they vanished without a trace after driving off twenty minutes before the building blew._  
_Blew up. Killing everyone inside. The thought made Sarah sick. Yes, the building wasn't exactly in a busy part of town - it was actually fairly remote - but Sarah knew the people in that building. She'd worked with them. Eaten with them. Laughed and talked with them. And now they all had to die because the military had decided they wanted her and not them._

_"Sarah? You there?"_

_Sarah nodded, then remembered the cloaking unit. "Yeah, I'm here. Don't worry, you would have figured it out pretty quick if you'd left me behind."_  
_Lauren snorted, but her face was drawn and nervous. "Yeah. Okay. It's just...damn, I don't know what it's just."_

_Natalie, about eight years older than Lauren and Sarah and in the reserves after a leg injury that left her with a limp, spoke up. "It's just like runnin' away."_

_That hadn't been what Lauren was going to say and Sarah knew it, but neither of them said anything._

_At thirteen-oh-five exactly, the bomb detonated. Natalie, Lauren, and Sarah were all far away by then, having switched cars and changed their destination from 'get the hell away' to 'rendezvous with the military'. The drive was uneventful, and silent except for the news report coming in over the radio about the explosion. A little over seventy people had been confirmed to have died in the explosion, and at least another twenty-five were missing. At the end, the reporter revealed that 'this tragedy is believed to be caused by a gas leak, but the police have acknowledged the possibility of foul play', followed by a list of the dead. Among them was the name 'Sarah Kingsley'. Sarah breathed a sigh of relief. Hannah and Natalie weren't mentioned at all._

_At the rendezvous, Sarah, Lauren, and Natalie were all taken, by helicopter, to what Sarah presumed to be a military base of some kind. Her guess was army, but once inside and seated - glancing around she could see there were about a hundred and fifty people in the room, spread around thirty or so tables - Sarah revised her original guess to special forces. The room was similar to a conference room, something Sarah was horribly familiar with, but with twice as many security cameras and armed guards all around the room. Natalie leaned over and muttered something to Lauren, who choked suppressing her laughter. Sarah raised an eyebrow in question and Natalie grinned and repeated it to her._

_"With all the security, you'd think we were in a military base."_

_It's a lame joke, but the tension of the past few hours made anything funny._

_"Your attention, ladies and gentlemen." A gray-haired man, taller than average, with green eyes and a goatee spoke up at the front of the room. Sarah started, wondering how she hadn't noticed him before._

_"I am the Director. As you know, you have been selected for Project Hawkeye. What most of you do _not _know is what Project Hawkeye is."_

_"There is a new military program that will be equipping its agents experimental AIs and armor enhancements. To counter any rogue agents from this program, the government has also approved the creation of Project Hawkeye. You will be put through rigorous training, both physical and mental, to prepare you to face these agents in combat. But more important will be your mental resistance to the intrusion of AIs and your loyalty to your squadmates."  
_

_A forty-something man with a scar across his face and stubble on his jaw leaned forward, one forearm resting on the table in front of him. "How are the squads chosen?" He asked, his voice harsh and deep._

_The Director inclined his head to the man. "Many of the squads have already been selected. The majority of you will be grouped with those you are currently seated with. For some of you, this is not agreeable, so you will be grouped into other squads." He raised his voice now, addressing the group at large once again. "There is further information available in your quarters. Assignments are on the western wall, as well as your code names."_

_Having a sense of déjà vu, as if she was back in school again, Sarah joined the queue with Hannah and Natalie to see their room assignments. Their names were grouped under the heading 'N-23', which turned out to be their...room number, for lack of a better term. The board read like this.  
_

_Sarah Kingsley - Sergeant Sparrow - Starlight Squad - Starlight 1_

_Lauren Cartwright - Private Starling - Starlight Squad - Starlight 2_

_Natalie Cartwright - Private Robin - Starlight Squad - Starlight 3_

_Sarah - now Sparrow - let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. She would be with people she knew, she wouldn't have to wonder what would become of Lauren and Natalie - _Starling and Robin,_ she reminded herself. And she was in charge, which wasn't really a relief at all, just a fact. Nodding with her head towards the door, she led the other two off and followed the signs to their new quarters._

_Their quarters were sparse - two bunk beds, three lockers, and three terminals - but Robin looked more at home than she had since she'd come back from the military with a crushed and shattered leg. Sparrow smiled and tried the locker at the head of one of the beds. Inside was a set of armor - black - a helmet - also black - and two plasma pistols. Looking over her shoulder, Sparrow drew breath to ask a question. "What do you guys...have...woah." Robin had also opened her locker and hefted out a weapon that looked like a combination between a knife and rifle._

_"A Brute Shot." Robin informed Sparrow happily, with an astounded Starling looking on. Sparrow whistled, impressed._

_"Remind me to _never_ piss you off."_

* * *

_Formal training didn't begin immediately, although they were all required to keep themselves in shape. First, however, those among the Hawkeye soldiers with injuries - such as Robin - were required to undergo surgery that repaired said injuries. Three days in, it was Robin's turn, and she came back two days later, limp gone without a trace. Starling grinned to see her cousin walking easily again. "Good to see you're back to normal." Sparrow said with a smile. Robin grinned. "It's good to be back on my feet properly." She replied.  
_

_A little under a week later, the real training began. The first day, Starlight squad - thanks mainly to Robin's influence, they had all slipped quickly into a military mindset - were marched out to an obstacle course. Sparrow was first.  
_

_"Go."_

_Sparrow took off like a shot, high-stepping over the ankle-high poles in front of her before diving onto her stomach to belly crawl underneath a camoflague net about nine inches off the ground. Once through, she found herself presented with two balance beams. She ran across one, loosing her balance a couple times but managing not to fall, before finishing to confront the next obstacle - monkey bars, of all things. Sparrow grinned, recalling the times she and David had raced each other across the monkey bar sets and school when they were kids as she jumped up to grab hold of the first rung, before moving quickly to the next and swinging to the next. The monkey bars were longer than she was used to, and her shoulders were burning by the time she was done. Dropping to the ground, Sparrow ran to the next obstacle, this time a steep board that led to the top of a net. She scaled the board fairly easily before swinging over to climb down the net. Running - although it was more of a jog now - to the next obstacle, a ramp leading to a box, Sparrow ran up the ramp and vaulted over the edge of the box, landing in a crouch before jogging - definitely a jog now - towards a wall with a square hole in it and ducking through, swerving around the wall behind it to be confronted by a pit. Sparrow jumped it, stumbling on the landing, and ran to the final obstacle - tires. She high-stepped through those as well, crossing the finish line gasping for breath. Slowly, she straightened and moved off to one side to watch Robin and Starling.  
_

_Robin did the best by far out of the three of them, barely slowing down throughout the entire course. Starling did a little worse than Sparrow, falling once off the beam and going a little slower on the ramps. Sparrow was just a little above average performance, with Starling coming in at average. Robin, of course, was one of the best._

* * *

_There's probably about fifty things in that chapter that are inaccurate as far as military procedure goes, so I'll ask you to forgive me (although if you do find something wrong, please tell me and I'll see if I can fix it without wrecking the chapter completely). Next chapter we'll either see South getting her AI via North remembering his sister (I still feel really bad about that), return to Tannie's group in the present day, or finally find out what happened to York. __Hope you enjoyed, and please tell me what you thought - or which chapter you want me to write next._  



	5. South

**Author's Note:** Sorry for taking so long to update - school started, so I have _way_ less time to write! I tried to make this chapter extra-good to make up for it, but I'm not sure if I succeeded.

* * *

North lay awake long after Tannie had finished her talking with her AI, thinking about South.

* * *

_North ducked back behind cover, wishing Nevada had assigned him to his usual sniper position with Mitch instead of smack in the middle of everything. He could fight in close quarters like any other Freelancer of course - and had needed to one more than one occasion (Bjørndal Cryogenics, anyone?) - but it certainly wasn't his preferred method. The one upside was his twin sister.  
_

_South was totally at home in the middle of combat, it seemed. In stark contrast to North's quiet uncertainty and discomfort, she plowed through the insurrectionists with a confidence that was supreme bordering on suicidal. She was a great fighter - better than himself, unless stealth was involved - but her brazen tactics made him worry constantly whenever they were thrown into a fight._

_Sylv's voice crackled cheerfully over the comms. "Hey, Dakotas, you planning on getting off your asses any time soon?" South snapped back instantly. She and Sylv - short for Pennsylvania - were great friends, although you wouldn't know it to hear them talk to each other.  
_

_"We're gonna get there when we're gonna fucking get there, so just sit on your ass like you usually do and you'll be _fine._"_

_Sylv cackled over the radio. "Nice one, South. Hey Psi, wasn't that a good one?"_

_Sierra - Sylv's AI - declined to comment. North rolled his eyes under his helmet. Ark's voice lanced through dryly. "Ladies, more fighting and less running your damn mouths please. We'd really like to be out of here before the building explodes, so if you could clear that LZ that'd be great..."_

_"Working on it, Ark." North replied after his chuckles had subsided._

_"Glad to hear it." Ark's personal brand of quiet sarcasm was a welcome rock in the chaotic battle - even if North was used to said chaotic battle.  
_

_"LZ's clear. Come on in, Four-Seven-Niner." South called through the comms. "Sylv, Ark, feel free to haul ass out here."  
_

_"On our way. Hey Psi, get offa Nu's back would'ya please?"_

_Sierra - again - declined to comment. Sylv cackled again. It was her favored method of communication. North sighed and shook his head, then promptly shot two goons who were coming around the corner. "Scratch that - _now_ it's clear." He told them, amused. Ark chuckled softly, and Sylv - well, you can probably guess. She cackled. Psi offered a comment for the first time in a long time. "It takes more courage to admit a wrong than die for a cause." There was a short silence before Sylv broke it. "I'm sure there's a relation to what just happened, but we'll ponder it later if nobody minds."  
_

_"Good idea." Ark agreed, then his voice morphed into an urgent snap. "North, behind you!"_

_North and South both whirled around to see a full platoon of mooks shimmer into existence on the back of the landing pad. "Four-Seven-Niner..."  
_

_"I see 'em. Don't worry, I gotcha covered." Four-Seven-Niner's voice came over the comms as the Pelican rose up behind the LZ and started blasting the poor suckers who'd gotten that job.  
_

_Or, they would have been poor suckers if they'd actually died._

_"Fuck. Dakotas, mind helping me out here?"_

_"Try not to shoot us." South quipped as both she and North plowed into the first row of mooks, dispensing with the weapons and going straight for hand to hand combat. North was had just snapped a neck and was about to break some poor bastard's spine when two cries of pain came through the radio. Well, one cry of pain - the other was really more of a scream.  
_

_"Sylv - South! Go!" North shouted, ducking to avoid a shotgun blast and kicked the mook responsible for it in the throat. South dashed off without a question, smashing open the door and disappearing into the building. North didn't have time to watch her go - he was still mowing through the mooks, which had excellent protection against rifles and the like, but shit protection against an angry Freelancer and his fists. Maine or Carolina would certainly have done a better job than North was, but they were the hand to hand people, not North. North was a sniper, and for a sniper, he was doing a damn good job.  
_

_He was just finishing off the last of the mooks when South came out of the building with Arkansas stumbling along, trying not to fall on his face. Four-Seven-Niner dropped the ramp of the Pelican, and South and Ark made to board. North hesitated, calling back to his sister. "Where's Sylv?" He asked. South was silent for a moment. Then —_

_"She didn't make it."_

_North actually jerked backward at the revelation. His mind became detached from his body, and while his body was running towards the Pelican to get inside before the ramp closed, his mind was in a state of complete shock._

_Once inside the Pelican, he sat down in one of the seats. Ark was strapped in two seats away, and South came to sit between them.  
_

_"How's Ark?" North asked, but his voice was a little hollower than it should have been. He was still hung up on loosing Sylv.  
_

_Sylv. Real name Reyera Avísla. Beautiful hazel eyes, always laughing at something, brown curly hair, and very beautiful under her armor._

_"He'll be fine. Tannie can fix him up when we get back." South replied.  
_

_"When she's done tearing us a new one for letting him get hurt." North joked. South chuckled, then went quiet._

_"I'm sorry about Rey, North."_

_North tried to shrug it off. "Nothing you could have done. Don't worry about it." If only he could take his own advice._

_South hesitated for a moment. "Yeah, about that...Psi?"_

_North's head jerked up like a puppet on strings as Psi/Sierra appeared, her image - a regal woman wearing a Greek tunic - coming out of South's helmet. "Hello, Agent North." She said formally. "Agent South has allowed me to store myself in the free space within her helmet after Agent Pennsylvania's death. We are getting along quite well."_

_"She's interesting to talk to, I'll say that much for her." South put in. North felt himself smiling. "Good to see you, Psi. Or would you still like to be Sierra?"_

_Psi/Sierra hesitated for a moment, then answered. "I do not Sierra would be...appropriate, any longer. Please call me Psi."_

_"Okay then, Psi. Take care of my sister, would you?" North asked._

_"I don't need a babysitter, North." South grumbled._

* * *

And so Psi had become South's AI. Not properly - as far as North was aware, the Director had never found out that South hadn't just aborted Psi like she'd been told. And Psi had never been properly implanted. But the AI had access to all the systems in South's armor - including the neural implant that had never been filled. It wasn't a perfect system, and they weren't as efficient as other AI-Freelancer teams, but South seemed okay with it. She had still been jealous of the other Freelancers, who had gotten proper implantations, but after getting Psi, she had been able to shrug it off for the most part.

North sighed and rolled over onto his side. And now, she was gone.

* * *

_Poor North...I feel bad for putting him through all this.  
_


End file.
